CN116553102A - Conveying robot and conveying system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a transfer robot and a transfer system. The conveying robot (1) is provided with: a body (2); a pair of wheels (31) capable of rolling with respect to the pair of guide rails (111); a loading table (4) which is provided so as to be rotatable between a support position overlapping the pair of guide rails (111) in the up-down direction and a retracted position located between the pair of guide rails (111); a swiveled member (6) which is located between the body (2) and the loading table (4) and is provided so as to be able to swivel between a first swivel position and a second swivel position; a swivel actuator (5) for swivel the loading table (4) or the swivel member (6); and a lifting mechanism (7) which connects the main body (2) and the rotatable member (6) and is provided so as to be capable of lifting and lowering the loading table (4) switched to the retracted position.

Description

Conveying robot and conveying system

technical field

The invention relates to a delivery robot and a delivery system.

Background technique

In Japanese Patent Laid-Open JP2018-517646A, a warehouse-out system is disclosed. The warehouse-out system includes: a structure with multiple pairs of horizontal guide rails arranged in the up and down direction; a delivery robot that can move along the horizontal guide rails. March. In the structure, the transport robot can move up and down to other horizontal rails via the inclined portion and the vertical rails provided so as to intersect the plurality of pairs of horizontal rails. The ramp has chains hoisted by meshing with the mobile robot's sprocket gears.

However, in the outbound system described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open JP2018-517646A, in order to raise and lower the conveying robot, it is necessary to provide a lifting mechanism with a height difference such as an inclined part and a vertical guide rail on the structure. Therefore, the structure of the structure becomes complicated.

Contents of the invention

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above and focuses on this problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a transport robot and a transport system that can be raised and lowered in a structure that does not have a height difference elevating mechanism.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transport robot that, in a structure having a lifting area where a plurality of pairs of guide rails are arranged at intervals, moves with a distance between Traveling on the traveling guide rail among the plurality of pairs of guide rails arranged at intervals, and during the lifting operation, lifting and lowering between the plurality of pairs of guide rails arranged at intervals, the transport robot Equipped with: a main body; a pair of wheels, which are provided on the main body in a manner that can roll relative to the pair of guide rails; switching between a support position overlapping the pair of guide rails and a retreat position between the pair of guide rails; a position switching mechanism that switches the loading platform between the support position and the retreat position; a driven part, which is located between the body and the loading table, and is arranged to be able to swivel between a first swivel position and a second swivel position with the up-down direction as the center; a swivel drive part, which enables The driven part is connected to the loading platform in a revolving manner; an elevating mechanism connects the body and the driven part and is configured to lift and lower the loading platform switched to the retracted position, The loading stage switched to the supporting position by the position switching mechanism is supported by the pair of guide rails, and the driven member is swiveled to the second swivel position by the swivel driving part so that the pair of the When the wheels are at the lifting position between the pair of guide rails, the body and the pair of wheels are lifted between the guide rails through the lifting mechanism, and the driven parts are driven by the The swivel drive unit swivels to the first swivel position so that the pair of wheels are mounted on the pair of guide rails so as to be located at travel positions overlapping the pair of guide rails in the vertical direction, and the loading table When switching to the retracted position by the position switching mechanism, the loading table is raised and lowered between the guide rails by the lifting mechanism.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a conveyance system comprising: a structure having a lifting area in which a plurality of pairs of guide rails are arranged at intervals; In the traveling operation, the traveling guide rail among the plurality of pairs of the guide rails arranged at intervals is advanced, and during the lifting operation, the plurality of pairs of guide rails arranged at intervals Lifting and lowering between the guide rails, the transport robot has: a body; a pair of wheels, which are arranged on the body in a manner that can roll relative to the pair of guide rails; a loading platform, which is located on the body above, and is arranged so that it can be switched between a support position overlapping a pair of guide rails in the up and down direction, and a retreat position located between the pair of guide rails; a position switching mechanism that switches the loading table switching between a support position and a retracted position; a driven member, which is located between the body and the loading table, and is arranged to be able to move between the first swivel position and the second swivel position with the up-down direction as the center Rotation between; the rotation driving part, which is connected to the loading table in a manner to make the driven part rotate; the lifting mechanism, which connects the body and the driven part, and is configured to enable the driven part to rotate. The loading table switched to the retracted position is raised and lowered, and the loading table switched to the supporting position by the position switching mechanism is supported by the pair of guide rails and swung by the swivel drive part via the driven member. When reaching the second swivel position so that the pair of wheels is located at the lift position between the pair of guide rails, the body and the pair of wheels are lifted between the guide rails by the lift mechanism When the driven member is swung to the first swivel position by the swivel drive portion, the pair of wheels are placed on the travel position so as to overlap the pair of guide rails in the vertical direction. When the guide rails are paired and the loading table is switched to the retracted position by the position switching mechanism, the loading table is raised and lowered between the guide rails by the elevating mechanism.

According to the above aspect, it is possible to provide a transport robot and a transport system capable of moving up and down in a structure not provided with a height difference lifting mechanism.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a transport system according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a structure according to a modified example.

Fig. 3 is a first perspective view showing a transport robot constituting the transport system.

Fig. 4 is a second perspective view showing the transfer robot.

FIG. 5A is a first perspective view of the delivery robot moving along the guide rail.

Fig. 5B is a second perspective view of the transport robot moving along the guide rail.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which the loading platform is swiveled from the retracted position to the support position and supported by the pair of upper guide rails in the guide rail parallel lifting area.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which the wheels rotate from the traveling position to the lifting position and the transport robot is supported by the pair of upper guide rails via the loading platform in the guide rail parallel lifting area.

Fig. 8 is a first perspective view showing a state in which a wheel is lowered to a pair of lower guide rails in a guide rail parallel lifting area.

FIG. 9 is a first perspective view showing a state in which a wheel is pivoted from a lift position to a travel position and placed on a pair of lower guide rails in the guide rail parallel lift region.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the loading table swings from the support position to the retracted position in the guide rail parallel lift area.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which the loading platform is lowered in the guide rail parallel lifting area.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a state in which the loading table swings from a supporting position with respect to the pair of upper rails to a retracted position with respect to the pair of upper rails in the rail intersecting lifting area.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a state in which the loading table is raised to a pair of upper guide rails in the guide rail intersecting lifting area.

14 is a perspective view showing a state in which the loading platform is swiveled from a retracted position with respect to the pair of upper rails to a support position with respect to the pair of upper rails and supported by the pair of upper rails in the rail intersecting lifting area.

Fig. 15 is a diagram showing a state in which the wheels rotate from the traveling position relative to the pair of lower rails to the lifting position relative to the pair of lower rails, and the transport robot is supported on the pair of upper rails via the loading platform in the rail crossing lifting area. picture.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing a state in which the wheels are raised to a predetermined height in the guide rail intersecting lifting area.

17 is a diagram showing a state in which a wheel turns from a traveling position with respect to a pair of middle guide rails to a raised and lowered position with respect to a pair of middle guide rails in the guide rail crossing raising and lowering area.

Fig. 18 is a diagram showing a state in which a wheel is raised to a pair of mid-section guide rails in the guide rail intersecting lifting area.

19 is a perspective view showing a state in which a wheel is supported by a pair of middle rails while swiveling from a lifting position relative to the pair of upper rails to a traveling position relative to the pair of upper rails in the rail intersecting lifting area.

20 is a perspective view showing a state in which the loading table swings from a supporting position with respect to the pair of upper rails to a retracted position with respect to the pair of upper rails in the rail intersecting lifting area.

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, an embodiment (hereinafter referred to as the present embodiment) for implementing the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in this specification, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the same element as a whole.

(conveyor system structure)

First, the transport system 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1 .

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a transport system 100 according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the transport system 100 according to the present embodiment includes: a structure 11 having a lifting area 11 in which a plurality of pairs of guide rails 111 are arranged at intervals; and a transport robot 1 capable of Travel on the guide rail 111 which is a guide rail for traveling.

The conveyance system 100 is installed in restaurants such as sushi restaurants, for example, and communicates the customer seats and the kitchen through the structural body 10 . Specifically, in the conveyance system 100, the conveyance robot 1 on which dishes such as sushi are placed, which are tableware W, is placed along, for example, a guide rail 111 that can be visually recognized by customers, thereby delivering dishes from the kitchen to the lobby, and then , by causing the transport robot 1 to move up and down in the lifting area 11, and after loading empty dishes, travel along other guide rails 111 that cannot be visually recognized by customers, so as to collect empty dishes from the lobby to the kitchen.

In this way, since food delivery and table utensil collection are implemented using the conveyance system 100, it is possible to reduce the number of employees of the restaurant and contribute to the reduction of labor costs. In addition, since the delivery of food delivery and the delivery of food utensils are carried out by respectively driving the delivery robot 1 on the guide rail 111 that can be visually recognized by customers and other guide rails 111 that cannot be visually confirmed by customers, it is different from that of food supply. The transportation and the transportation of tableware recovery can improve the sanitation and aesthetics of the transportation system by comparing with a device implemented by moving a transportation robot on the same guide rail.

In the present embodiment, the conveyance system 100 has been described as a conveyance system installed in a restaurant, but it is not limited thereto, and may be installed, for example, in a distribution warehouse that performs distribution of distribution.

(structure of struct)

Next, the structure 10 constituting a part of the transport system 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 1 .

In FIG. 1 , the longitudinal direction, the width direction, and the vertical direction of the structure 10 are respectively defined as a direction along the X axis, a direction along the Y axis, and a direction along the Z axis. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the longitudinal direction, width direction and up-down direction of the structure 10 are also simply referred to as the longitudinal direction, width direction and up-down direction.

As shown in FIG. 1 , a structure 10 according to the present embodiment has a lift area 11 where a transport robot can move up and down. Lifting area 11 has the first lifting area 12 (enclosed by dotted line in Fig. 1) as the first lifting area of guide rail parallel lifting area, and the second lifting area 13 (surrounded by dashed line in Fig. 1) as guide rail intersecting lifting area. living area). In addition, the first lifting area 12 and the second lifting area 13 may be formed so as to partially overlap, or may be formed so as not to overlap.

The first lifting area 12 is to move the transport robot 1 up and down between multiple pairs (here, two pairs) of guide rails 111 (travel guide rails 111) arranged in parallel in the vertical direction, and to move the transport robot 1 along multiple An area that travels in the direction of extension of any pair of guide rails 111 (travel guide rails 111 ) among the guide rails 111 . The first lifting area 12 does not have the lifting mechanisms with height difference such as ramps and vertical guide rails in the prior art, but has many pairs (here, three pairs) of guide rails 111 (as three pairs) that are arranged in parallel along the up-down direction. A pair of first guide rails 111A of a pair of upper guide rails in the first lifting area, a pair of second guide rails 111B as a pair of middle guide rails in the first lifting area, and a pair of third guide rails 111C as a pair of lower guide rails in the first lifting area) , and a plurality of support frames (not shown) extending in the vertical direction and supporting a plurality of pairs of guide rails 111 . In this embodiment, the first guide rail 111A, the second guide rail 111B, and the third guide rail 111C are arranged in parallel so as to extend along the longitudinal direction.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the distance between the pair of second guide rails 111B and the pair of third guide rails 111C is greater than the distance between the pair of first guide rails 111A and the pair of second guide rails 111B. In this embodiment, the pair of first rails 111A are used only as elevating rails, and the pair of second rails 111B and the pair of third rails 111C are used only as traveling rails. Here, for example, all the guide rails 111 in the first elevating area 12 may be used as both the traveling guide rails and the elevating guide rails. In this case, it is preferable that the intervals between the respective guide rails 111 are the same.

The second lifting area 13 is an area where the transport robot 1 is raised and lowered between a plurality of pairs (here, two pairs) of guide rails (traveling guide rails 111 ) arranged so as to intersect in the vertical direction.

The second lifting area 13 does not have the lifting mechanisms with height difference such as ramps and vertical guide rails in the prior art, but has many pairs (here, three pairs) of guide rails 111 arranged along the up and down direction (as a A pair of fourth guide rails 111D for the upper guide rails in the second lifting area, a pair of fifth guide rails 111E as a pair of middle guide rails for the second lifting area, a pair of second guide rails 111B as a pair of lower guide rails for the second lifting area), and a plurality of support frames (not shown) extending in the vertical direction and supporting the plurality of pairs of guide rails 111 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , a pair of fourth guide rails 111D and a pair of fifth guide rails 111E are arranged in parallel to extend along the width direction. On the other hand, the pair of fifth guide rails 111E and the pair of second guide rails 111B are arranged so as to intersect in plan view.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 1 , the interval between the pair of fifth guide rails 111E and the pair of second guide rails 111B is greater than the interval between the pair of fourth guide rails 111D and the pair of fifth guide rails 111E. In this embodiment, the pair of fourth guide rails 111D are used only as the guide rails for elevating, and the pair of fifth guide rails 111E and the pair of second guide rails 111B are used only as the guide rails for traveling, but they are not limited thereto. Here, for example, all the guide rails 111 in the second elevating area 13 may be used as both the traveling guide rails and the elevating guide rails. In this case, it is preferable that the intervals between the respective guide rails 111 are the same.

In this way, the lift area 11 is composed of the first lift area 12 and the second lift area 13 , and therefore three-dimensional transportation of the transport robot 1 in the lift area 11 can be realized.

In this embodiment, the lift area 11 is composed of the first lift area 12 and the second lift area 13 , but it is not limited thereto. For example, it may be composed of only the first lift area 12 . In this case, three-dimensional transportation by the transportation robot 1 in the lifting area 11 cannot be realized.

In the present embodiment, the plurality of pairs of guide rails 111 are provided so as to extend along the horizontal plane. However, the guide rails 111 are not limited thereto. For example, they may be provided so as to extend slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. In this case, the conveyance system 100 can implement conveyance between the places which have a level difference.

In addition, in this embodiment, although several pairs of guide rails 111 are provided so that it may extend linearly, it is not limited to this, For example, you may provide so that it may extend curvedly. In this case, the transportation system 100 can be used to carry out transportation between locations that are not on a straight line.

Each guide rail 111 is formed, for example, in a rectangular shape when viewed from the front. Each guide rail 111 has a mounting surface 112 on which a wheel 31 (see FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 ) described later of the transport robot 1 can be placed, and an opposing surface 113 facing the pair of guide rails 111 .

The mounting surface 112 is formed as a flat surface. The mounting surface 112 which is a flat surface has a smoothness on which the wheels 31 of the transport robot 1 can roll. The facing surface 113 is provided so as to be able to contact the outer peripheral edge of the loading table position adjustment guide roller 41 or the main body position adjustment guide roller 23 (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ). Thereby, during the traveling operation of the transport robot 1, the outer peripheral edge of the main body position adjustment guide roller 23 abuts against the opposing surface 113, and the position of the wheel 31 can be restricted on the mounting surface 112, so that the wheel 31 can be prevented from moving. When falling off from the mounting surface 112.

In addition, as long as the distance between the pair of upper rails (for example, the mounting surface 112 of the first rail 111A) and the pair of lower rails (for example, the mounting surface 112 of the third rail 111C) is set to a predetermined distance or less Can. Furthermore, when the distance between a pair of upper rails (for example, the placement surface 112 of the first rail 111A) and a pair of lower rails (for example, the placement surface 112 of the third rail 111C) exceeds a predetermined interval, the transport robot 1 Unable to lift between guide rails 111. That is, if there is a portion where the distance between the guide rails 111 exceeds the predetermined distance, this portion does not belong to the lifting area 11 of the structure 10 . In other words, all the locations where the distance between the guide rails 111 is equal to or less than the predetermined distance belong to the lifting area 11 . In addition, details of the "predetermined interval" will be described later.

(Structure of modified example)

Next, a structure 10 according to a modified example will be described with reference to FIG. 2 . In addition, in this first embodiment, the description of the points that are the same as those of the above-mentioned embodiment will be omitted, and the points that are different from the above-mentioned embodiment will be mainly described.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a structure 10 of a first modification example.

Although in the above-mentioned embodiment, the structure 10 is only composed of the lifting area 11, it is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. It consists of a non-lifting area 14 connected to a lifting area 11.

In this case, each elevating area 11 (ie, first elevating area 12 ) has a pair of first rails 111A, a pair of second rails 111B, and a pair of third rails 111C arranged in parallel in the vertical direction. On the other hand, the non-elevating area 14 is a transport path having only a pair of first communication rails 141 and a pair of second communication rails 142 arranged in parallel in the vertical direction.

The first communication rail 141 communicates with the second rails 111B that are provided separately, and the second communication rail 142 communicates with the plurality of third rails 111C that are provided separately. That is, the second guide rail 111B is connected to both ends of the first communication guide rail 141 , and the third guide rail 111C is connected to both ends of the second communication guide rail 142 .

As in the modified example, by appropriately setting the non-lifting area 14 as a conveyance path in the structure 10, it is possible to reduce unnecessary conveyor rails. As a result, simplification and weight reduction of the structure 10 can be achieved.

(Structure of the transport robot)

Next, the transport robot 1 constituting another part of the transport system 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 , 3 , and 4 .

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the transport robot 1 . FIG. 4 is a second perspective view showing the transport robot 1 . In addition, in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the structural body 10 is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the transportation robot 1 according to this embodiment travels on a pair of guide rails 111 during the traveling operation of the transportation robot 1 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the traveling operation). During the lifting operation (hereinafter also simply referred to as the lifting operation), conveyance bodies that are raised and lowered between the plurality of pairs of guide rails 111 are arranged at intervals in the lifting area 11 of the structure 10 . As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the transport robot 1 includes a main body 2 , a traveling mechanism 3 , a loading platform 4 , a swivel actuator 5 as a swivel drive unit, a swivel member 6 as a driven member, and a pair of elevating mechanisms 7 . , controller 8 and power supply 9.

The main body 2 is a rectangular base member extending along both the longitudinal direction and the width direction. On the main body 2 (specifically, the upper surface of the main body 2), a controller 8 and a power supply 9 are mounted, wherein the controller 8 controls the travel actuator of the travel mechanism 3 as a travel drive part described later. 32, the lifting actuator 71 described later as the lifting drive part of the rotary actuator 5 and the lifting mechanism 7 is controlled; The device 71 supplies power.

In addition, the transport robot 1 can perform a traveling operation of traveling on a pair of guide rails 111 and a lifting operation of moving up and down between a plurality of pairs of guide rails 111 arranged at intervals under the control of the controller 8 .

During the lifting operation, the main body 2 can pass between the pair of guide rails 111 without interfering with the pair of guide rails 111. Therefore, it can be raised and lowered between the plurality of pairs of guide rails 111 arranged at intervals.

The main body 2 has: a pair of drive wheel bearings 21 that rotatably support a drive shaft 311a (described later) of a drive wheel 311 serving as a wheel 31; The driven shaft (not shown/described later) is supported to be rotatable; multiple pairs (three pairs here) of body position adjustment guide rollers 23, whose outer peripheral edges can be docked with the opposing surfaces 113 of a pair of guide rails 111; The connecting piece 24 protrudes from the upper surface of the main body 2 and is hingedly connected to the lower ends of a pair of lower links 722 of the lifting mechanism 7 which will be described later.

A pair of driving wheel bearings 21 and a pair of driven wheel bearings 22 are provided on the upper surface of the main body 2 so as to be located at four corners of the main body 2 . Plural pairs of body position adjustment guide rollers 23 protrude from both sides of the body 2 on which the wheels 31 are provided, and are provided on the lower surface of the body 2 so as to be rotatable centering on the up-down direction.

The traveling mechanism 3 is a mechanism for traveling the transport robot 1 on the guide rail 111 . The traveling mechanism 3 has: a pair of driving wheels 311 whose drive shafts 311a are rotatably supported by a pair of driving wheel bearings 21; a pair of driven wheels 312 whose driven shafts are rotatably supported by a pair of driven wheel bearings 22; The actuator 32 is arranged on the upper surface of the main body 2, and makes the main body 2 advance by making the pair of driving wheels 311 roll relative to the pair of guide rails 111; The driving force is transmitted to the drive shaft 311a.

The travel actuator 32 is a drive unit that drives the drive wheels 311 using electricity, air, hydraulic pressure, or the like. In the present embodiment, the traveling actuator 32 is constituted by a motor. The travel actuator 32 has a travel drive shaft provided to be able to rotate both instantaneously and counterclockwise, and the transmission mechanism 33 transmits the driving force generated by the rotation of the travel drive shaft of the travel actuator 32 to the drive shaft. 311a for delivery. Thereby, the traveling operation|movement of the forward movement or the backward movement of the transport robot 1 can be realized.

The loading table 4 is a rectangular plate member located above the main body 2 . The loading platform 3 is provided so that it can be centered on the up-down direction, between a support position (see FIG. 6 ) overlapping the pair of guide rails 111 in the up-down direction and a retreat position (see FIG. 5 a ) located between the pair of guide rails 111 . Perform a maneuver. On the loading table 4, the tableware W which is an article is placed.

The loading table 4 has a pair of loading table position adjustment guide rollers 41 whose outer peripheral edges can abut against the opposing surfaces 113 of the pair of guide rails 111 . A pair of loading table position adjustment guide rollers 41 are provided on the lower surface of the loading table 4 so as to be rotatable about the vertical direction. In addition, when the loading table 4 is swiveled to the retracted position, a pair of loading table position adjustment guide rollers 41 are arranged along the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 4 and FIG. 5A ). At this time, the outer peripheral edges of the pair of stage position adjustment guide rollers 41 cannot abut against the opposing surfaces 113 of the pair of guide rails 111 .

Since the loading platform 4 is swiveled to the retracted position between the pair of guide rails 111 during the lifting operation, it can pass between the pair of guide rails 111 without interfering with the pair of guide rails 111 , thereby being able to move between the pair of guide rails 111. Plural pairs of guide rails 111 are arranged at intervals to move up and down.

On the other hand, when the loading table 4 is turned by 90° from the retracted position to the supporting position, a pair of loading table position adjustment guide rollers 41 are arranged along the width direction. At this time, the outer peripheral edges of the pair of stage position adjustment guide rollers 41 can abut against the opposing surfaces 113 of the pair of guide rails 111 .

In addition, when the loading platform 4 is rotated by 90° from the retracted position to the support position and is supported by the pair of guide rails 111, even if the wheels 31 are separated from the pair of guide rails 111, the transport robot 1 is temporarily held by the loading platform 4. It is supported by a pair of guide rails 111 (refer to FIG. 7 ). Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the number of parts constituting the conveying robot 1 without separately providing the conveying robot 1 with a supporting mechanism that even when the wheels 31 are detached from the pair of guide rails 111 during the lifting operation. Even in this case, the transfer robot 1 is temporarily supported by the pair of guide rails 111 by switching from the retreat position to the support position. Therefore, simplification and cost reduction of the transport robot 1 can be achieved.

The swivel actuator 5 as a position switching mechanism is a driving unit that swivels the loading table 4 using electricity, air, hydraulic pressure, or the like. In this embodiment, the rotary actuator 5 is constituted by a motor. The swivel actuator 5 is provided below the loading table 4 and above the swiveled member 6 . In addition, the swivel actuator 5 is a drive unit for swiveling the swivel member 6 . In this way, the swivel actuator 5 swivels both the loading table 4 and the swivel member 6 , so that the position switching mechanism and the swivel actuator 5 can be integrated. As a result, reduction in the number of parts constituting the transport robot 1 can be achieved. Accordingly, simplification and cost reduction of the transport robot 1 can be achieved.

The swivel actuator 5 has a pair of swivel drive shafts that extend in the vertical direction and are provided so as to be able to swivel both clockwise and counterclockwise. One swivel drive shaft protrudes from the upper surface of the swivel actuator 5 and is connected to the loading table 4 . Thereby, the swivel actuator 5 can swivel the loading table 4 between the support position and the retracted position. The other swivel drive shaft protrudes from the lower surface of the swivel actuator 5 and is connected to the swivel member 6 . Thereby, the swivel actuator 5 can swivel the swivel member 6 between the first swivel position and the second swivel position.

The swiveled part 6 is an elongated plate part located between the main body 2 and the loading platform 4 . The swiveled member 6 is provided so as to be able to swivel between a first swivel position and a second swivel position with the vertical direction as the center. In addition, the swiveled member 6 is positioned between the pair of loading table position adjusting guide rollers 41 so as not to interfere with the pair of loading table position adjusting guide rollers 41 even when it is swiveled between the first swivel position and the second swivel position. between.

When the swivel member 6 is swung to the first swivel position by the swivel actuator 5 , the swivel member 6 is provided so as to extend along the longitudinal direction. On the other hand, when the swivel member 6 is swung by 90° from the first swivel position to the second swivel position by the swivel actuator 5 , the swivel member 6 is provided so as to extend in the width direction.

The pair of elevating mechanisms 7 are mechanisms for elevating the main body 2 or the loading platform 4 . A pair of lifting mechanisms 7 connect the main body 2 with the swiveled part 6 . In addition, the pair of elevating mechanisms 7 has: a pair of elevating actuators 71, which are arranged on both ends of the swiveled member 6 (specifically, on the upper surfaces of both ends); The actuator 71 and the pair of connection pieces 24 are respectively connected.

By disposing the pair of lift actuators 71 on the swiveled part 6 instead of the body 2, the load generated by the pair of lift actuators 71 can be applied to the swiveled part 6 instead of the body 2, Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation where the load is concentrated on the main body 2 . As a result, the driving force of the lifting actuator 71 for raising and lowering the main body 2 can be reduced, and thus the output requirement for the lifting actuator 71 can be reduced. In addition, there is no need to secure an installation space on the upper surface of the main body 2 for installing the pair of elevating actuators 71, and the degree of freedom in the installation layout of the main body 2 can be improved.

Each lift actuator 71 is a drive unit for turning each upper link 721 of each telescopic member 72 described later using electricity, air, hydraulic pressure, or the like. In the present embodiment, each lift actuator 71 is constituted by a motor. Each lifting actuator 71 has a function extending in the width direction when the swivel member 6 is swiveled to the first swivel position by the swivel actuator 5 , and is provided so as to be able to swivel both clockwise and counterclockwise. The lifting drive shaft (not shown). That is, when the swivel member 6 is swung 90 from the first swivel position to the second swivel position by the swivel actuator 5 , the elevating drive shaft extends along the longitudinal direction.

Specifically, when the swivel member 6 is swung to the first swivel position by the swivel actuator 5, the elevating drive shaft of one elevating actuator 71 extends along one side of the width direction, and the other side The lift drive shaft of the lift actuator 71 extends along the other side in the width direction. That is, the lift drive shaft of one lift actuator 71 and the lift drive shaft of the other lift actuator 71 extend in opposite directions.

Each telescopic part 72 has: an elongated upper link 721, whose upper end is hingedly connected with the lifting drive shaft of the lifting actuator 71; an elongated lower link 722, whose upper end is hingedly connected with the lower end of the upper link 721 , and the lower end is hingedly connected with the connecting piece 24.

As described above, the lift drive shaft of one lift actuator 71 and the lift drive shaft of the other lift actuator 71 extend in opposite directions. In addition, a pair of upper connecting rods 721 are arranged on both sides of the swiveled component 6 because they are hingedly connected to the lifting drive shafts of a pair of lifting actuators 71 . Similarly, a pair of lower connecting rods 722 are also arranged on both sides of the swiveled component 6 .

In this way, when the swivel member 6 is swiveled to the first swivel position by the swivel actuator 5, the pair of telescopic members 72 (a pair of upper links 721 and a pair of lower links 722) offset, so that when the telescopic member 72 expands and contracts, the interference of the pair of telescopic members 72 can be avoided.

The pair of telescopic members 72 are extended and contracted in the vertical direction by the pair of elevating actuators 71 . Specifically, the pair of telescopic members 72 is configured such that a pair of upper links 721 are respectively rotated integrally with a pair of lift drive shafts through a pair of lift actuators 71, and a pair of lower links 722 are respectively connected with a pair of upper links. The connecting rod 721 turns in conjunction with the turning.

More specifically, when the pair of telescopic members 72 is extended, the pair of upper links 721 and the pair of lower links 722 are turned by the pair of elevating actuators 71 so as to extend in the vertical direction.

On the other hand, when the pair of telescopic members 72 contracts, one upper link 721 passes through one side in a manner that approaches the other lift actuator 71 that is hingedly connected to the other upper link 721 and becomes horizontal. and the other upper link 721 is actuated by the other lift in such a manner that it approaches the one lift actuator 71 that is hingedly connected to the one upper link 721 to become a horizontal state. device 71 and revolve. By this, the pair of upper links 721 and the pair of lower links 722 are respectively folded.

The above-mentioned "predetermined interval" means that when the pair of upper links 721 and the pair of lower links 722 are extended in the vertical direction and rotated by the pair of lifting actuators 71 (that is, when the telescopic member 72 fully extended), the distance between the lower surface of the loading platform 4 and the lower surface of the wheel 31.

In addition, if the distance between the mounting surface 112 of the pair of first rails 111A and the mounting surface 112 of the pair of third rails 111C is set to be equal to or less than a predetermined distance, the loading table 4 can be mounted on the pair of first rails. Therefore, the transport robot 1 can move up and down between the guide rails 111 .

As mentioned above, since the pair of elevating mechanisms 7 connects the main body 2 and the swiveled part 6, when the swiveled part 6 is swung by the swivel actuator 5, the pair of elevating mechanisms 7 and the swiveled part 6 The main body 2 connected to the pair of elevating mechanisms 7 rotates in conjunction with the revolving and revolving in conjunction with the revolving of the pair of elevating mechanisms 7 . That is, the main body 2 turns in conjunction with the turning of the swivel member 6 connected via the elevating mechanism 7 .

When the swivel member 6 is swung to the first swivel position by the swivel actuator 5, the main body 2 is swiveled to the wheel traveling position where the wheel 31 is at the traveling position (see FIGS. 5A and 5B ). That is, the first swivel position of the swiveled member 6 corresponds to the traveling position of the wheel 31 . Here, the "traveling position" refers to a position where the pair of wheels 31 respectively overlap the pair of guide rails 111 in the vertical direction. At this time, the pair of wheels 31 and the main body 2 are arranged along the width direction.

On the other hand, when the swiveled part 6 is swiveled by 90° from the first swivel position to the second swivel position by the swivel actuator 5, the main body 2 is swiveled to the wheel lift position where the pair of wheels 31 are located at the lift position. (Refer to Figure 7). That is, the second swivel position of the swiveled member 6 corresponds to the raised/lowered position of the pair of wheels 31 . Here, the "lifting position" refers to a position where the pair of wheels 31 is located between the pair of guide rails 111 . At this time, the pair of wheels 31 and the main body 2 are arranged along the longitudinal direction.

During the lifting operation, the wheels 31 can pass between the pair of guide rails 111 without interfering with the pair of guide rails 111 , and thus can be raised and lowered between the plurality of pairs of guide rails 111 arranged at intervals.

(travel motion of the transport robot)

Next, the traveling operation performed by the transport robot 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B .

FIG. 5A is a first perspective view of the transport robot 1 moving along the guide rail 111 . FIG. 5B is a second perspective view of the transport robot 1 moving along the guide rail 111 .

As shown in FIG. 5A , during the traveling operation, the transport robot 1 is flattened so that the telescopic member 72 (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ) contracts, and travels along the guide rail 111 of the structure 10 . Thereby, compared with the transfer robot 1 which is not in a flat state during the traveling operation, it is possible to secure a larger loading area above the loading table 4 . As a result, when a plurality of transport robots 1 travel on different guide rails 111 up and down, it is easy to avoid the tableware W placed on the loading table 4 of the transport robot 1 traveling on the third guide rail 111C and the tableware W placed on the second guide rail 111C. A case where the transport robot 1 traveling on the guide rail 111B interferes.

In this case, the controller 8 (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ) of the transport robot 1 controls a pair of upper links 721 and a pair of lower links 722 (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ) to be folded respectively. For the lifting actuator 71 (refer to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 ). In addition, the controller 8 makes the pair of driving wheels 311 roll on the guide rail 111 by controlling the pair of traveling actuators 32 (see FIGS. Scroll in a linked manner. Thereby, the controller 8 can execute the traveling operation of the transport robot 1 traveling forward or backward.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 5B , during the traveling operation, the outer peripheral edges of the plurality of pairs of body position adjustment guide rollers 23 abut against the opposing surfaces 113 of the pair of guide rails 111 (specifically, the second guide rail 111B or the third guide rail 111C). Therefore, it is possible to correct the positional deviation of the transport robot 1 caused by the traveling operation. As a result, there is no need to provide a position detection sensor for detecting the position of the transport robot 1 and a control unit for correcting and controlling the positional deviation of the transport robot 1 based on the detection value of the position detection sensor, thereby realizing Reduction of the number of parts constituting the transfer robot 1 . Accordingly, simplification and cost reduction of the transport robot 1 can be achieved.

(Lifting action of the conveyor robot in the parallel lifting area of the guide rail)

Next, only the lowering operation among the lifting operations performed by the transport robot 1 in the first lifting area 12 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 11 . In addition, the ascending operation in the ascending and descending operation is completely opposite to each step of the descending operation, so the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which the loading table 4 is swiveled from the retracted position to the supporting position and supported by the pair of first guide rails 111A in the first lifting area 12 . 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which the transport robot 1 is supported by the pair of first guide rails 111A via the loading platform 4 while the wheels 31 swivel from the traveling position to the lifting position in the first lifting area 12 . FIG. 8 is a first perspective view showing a state in which the wheels 31 are lowered to the pair of third guide rails 111C in the first lifting area 12 . FIG. 9 is a first perspective view showing a state in which the wheels 31 are pivoted from the raising and lowering position to the traveling position and placed on the pair of third guide rails 111C in the first raising and lowering area 12 . FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the loading platform 4 is swiveled from the supporting position to the retracted position in the first lifting area 12 . FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which the loading table 4 is lowered in the first lifting area 12 .

First, in the first step during the descending operation in the first lifting area 12 , the transport robot 1 (specifically, the wheels 3 ) is placed on the pair of second guide rails 111B of the first lifting area 12 . , as shown by the arrow in FIG. 6 , the loading table 4 is swiveled by 90° from the retracted position to the support position by the swivel actuator 5 (see FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 ). At this time, both sides of the loading table 4 are supported by the pair of first rails 111A.

In addition, at this time, since the outer peripheral edges of the pair of loading table position adjustment guide rollers 41 (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ) are in contact with the opposing surfaces 113 of the pair of first guide rails 111A, it is possible to correct the discrepancy caused by the lifting operation. Positional deviation of conveyor robot 1. As a result, there is no need to provide a position detection sensor for detecting the position of the transport robot 1 and a control unit for correcting and controlling the positional deviation of the transport robot 1 based on the detection value of the position detection sensor, thereby realizing Reduction of the number of parts constituting the transfer robot 1 . Accordingly, simplification and cost reduction of the transport robot 1 can be achieved.

Next, in the second step during the descending operation in the first lifting area 12, in the state where the loading table 4 is supported by the pair of first guide rails 111A, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 3 and 4 ) is swiveled by 90° from the first swivel position to the second swivel position by the swivel actuator 5 . At this time, the main body 2 is swung by 90° from the wheel advancing position to the wheel elevating position in conjunction with the swiveling of the swivel member 6 connected via the elevating mechanism 7 . In addition, the wheels 31 are turned by 90° from the traveling position to the raising and lowering position in conjunction with the turning of the main body 2 so as to be separated from the pair of second guide rails 111B.

Next, in the third step during the descending operation in the first lifting area 12, the pair of upper links 721 and the stack of lower links 722 ( 3 and 4 ) are turned by a pair of elevating actuators 71 so that both become vertical (that is, the telescopic member 72 (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ) expands).

In this case, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 8 , the loading table 4 is supported by the pair of first guide rails 111A, and the main body 2 is connected to the pair of upper rails 111C such that the wheels 31 are close to the pair of third guide rails 111C. The rod 721 and the pair of lower links 722 descend in conjunction with the rotation.

Next, in the fourth step during the descending operation in the first lifting area 12, in the state where the loading platform 4 is supported by the pair of first guide rails 111A, as shown by the arrow in FIG. The actuator 5 is then swiveled by 90° from the second swivel position to the first swivel position. At this time, the main body 2 is swung by 90° from the wheel elevating position to the wheel traveling position in conjunction with the swiveling of the swivel member 6 connected via the elevating mechanism 7 . Moreover, the wheel 31 is turned by 90° from the raising and lowering position to the traveling position in conjunction with the turning of the main body 2 so as to be placed on the pair of third guide rails 111C.

At this time, since the outer peripheral edges of the plurality of pairs of body position adjustment guide rollers 23 abut against the opposing surfaces 113 of the pair of third guide rails 111C, positional deviation of the transport robot 1 caused by the lifting operation can be corrected. As a result, there is no need to provide a position detection sensor for detecting the position of the transport robot 1 and a control unit for correcting and controlling the positional deviation of the transport robot 1 based on the detection value of the position detection sensor, thereby realizing Reduction of the number of parts constituting the transfer robot 1 . Accordingly, simplification and cost reduction of the transport robot 1 can be achieved.

Next, in the fifth step during the descending operation in the first lifting area 12, in the state where the transport robot 1 (specifically, the wheels 31) is placed on the pair of third guide rails 111C, the arrow shown in FIG. 10 As shown, the loading table 4 is swiveled by 90° from the support position to the retracted position by the swivel actuator 5 . At this time, both sides of the loading platform 4 are not supported by the pair of first guide rails 111A.

Next, in the sixth step during the descending operation in the first lifting area 12, in the state where the transport robot 1 (specifically, the wheels 31) are placed on the pair of third guide rails 111C, the pair of upper links 721 and the pair of lower links 722 are turned by the pair of elevating actuators 71 so that both become horizontal (that is, the telescopic member 72 contracts).

In this case, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 11 , in the state where the transport robot 1 (specifically, the wheels 31 ) is placed on the pair of third guide rails 111C, the loading table 4 moves from the pair of second guide rails 111B to The pair of upper links 721 and the pair of lower links 722 are separated and descended in conjunction with the rotation of the pair of third guide rails 111C. In this way, the transport robot 1 is again in the flat state during the traveling operation, and can travel along the pair of third guide rails 111C.

(Lifting action of the conveyor robot in the rail cross lifting area)

Next, only the lifting operation among the lifting operations performed by the transport robot 1 in the second lifting area 13 will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 20 . In addition, the descending operation in the ascending and descending operation is completely opposite to each step of the ascending operation, so the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a state in which the loading platform 4 swings from the support position with respect to the pair of fourth guide rails 111D to the state of the retracted position with respect to the pair of fourth guide rails 111D in the second lifting area 13 . FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the loading platform 4 has been lifted up to the pair of fourth guide rails 111D in the second lifting area 13 . FIG. 14 shows that in the second lifting area 13, the loading table 4 turns from the retracted position relative to the pair of fourth guide rails 111D to the support position relative to the pair of fourth guide rails 111D, and is supported by the pair of fourth guide rails 111D. Stereogram of the state of . FIG. 15 shows that the wheels 31 rotate from the traveling position relative to the pair of second guide rails 111B to the lifting position relative to the pair of second guide rails 111B in the second lifting area 13, and the transport robot 1 is supported via the loading platform 4. A perspective view of the state of the pair of fourth guide rails 111D. FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a state in which the wheels 31 have been raised to a predetermined height in the second lifting area 13 . FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a state in which the wheels 31 swivel from a traveling position relative to the pair of fifth guide rails 111E to a raised and lowering position relative to the pair of fifth guide rails 111E in the second lifting area 13 . FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a state in which the wheels 31 are raised to the pair of fifth guide rails 111E in the second lifting area 13 . FIG. 19 shows that the wheel 31 turns from the lifting position relative to the pair of fourth guide rails 111D to the traveling position relative to the pair of fourth guide rails 111D in the second lifting area 13 and is supported by the pair of fifth guide rails 111E. A stereogram of the state. FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing a state in which the loading platform 4 swings from the support position with respect to the pair of fourth guide rails 111D to the state of the retracted position with respect to the pair of fourth guide rails 111D in the second lifting area 13 .

First, in the first step of the lifting operation in the second lifting area 13 , the transport robot 1 (specifically, the wheels 3 ) is placed on the pair of second guide rails 111B of the second lifting area 13 . 12, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 12, the loading table 4 is rotated by 90° from the support position relative to the fourth guide rail 111D (hereinafter also simply referred to as the support position) by the swing actuator 5 (refer to FIGS. 3 and 4 ). to the retracted position (hereinafter also simply referred to as the retracted position) with respect to the fourth guide rail 111D.

Next, in the second step during the ascending operation in the second lifting area 13, the pair of upper links move the transport robot 1 (specifically, the wheels 31) on the pair of second guide rails 111B in a state in which the transport robot 1 (specifically, the wheels 31) are placed 721 and a pair of lower links 722 (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ) are pivoted by a pair of elevating actuators 71 so that both extend in the vertical direction (that is, the telescopic member 72 expands).

In this case, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 13 , in the state where the transport robot 1 (specifically, the wheels 31 ) is placed on the pair of second guide rails 111B, the loading table 4 passes through the pair of fifth guide rails in sequence. The form of the guide rail 111E and the pair of fourth guide rails 111D rises in conjunction with the rotation of the pair of upper links 721 and the pair of lower links 722 .

Next, in the third step during the lifting operation in the second lifting area 13, in the state where the transport robot 1 (specifically, the wheels 31) are placed on the pair of second guide rails 111B, the arrow shown in FIG. 14 As shown, the loading table 4 is swiveled by 90° from the retracted position to the support position by the swivel actuator 5 . At this time, both sides of the loading table 4 are supported by a pair of fourth guide rails 111D.

Next, in the fourth step during the lifting operation in the second lifting area 13, in the state where the loading table 4 is supported by the pair of fourth guide rails 111D, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 3 and 4 ) is swiveled by 90° from the first swivel position to the second swivel position by the swivel actuator 5 . At this time, the main body 2 is swiveled from the wheel traveling position with respect to the pair of first guide rails 111A to the wheel elevation with respect to the pair of first guide rails 111A in conjunction with the swivel of the swivel member 6 connected via the elevating mechanism 7 . Location. In addition, the wheel 31 is rotated by 90° from the advancing position relative to the pair of first guide rails 111A to the position relative to the pair of first guide rails 111A in conjunction with the turning of the main body 2 so as to be separated from the pair of second guide rails 111B. lift position.

Next, in the fifth step during the lifting operation in the second lifting area 13, in the state where the loading table 4 is supported by the pair of fourth guide rails 111D, the pair of upper links 721 and the pair of lower links 722 are connected by The two are turned horizontally (ie, the telescopic member 72 is contracted) by a pair of elevating actuators 71 .

In this case, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 16 , the loading platform 4 is supported by the pair of fourth guide rails 111D, and the main body 2 is connected to the pair of upper rails 111A by passing the wheels 3 through the pair of first guide rails 111A. The rod 721 and the pair of lower links 722 are raised to a predetermined height in conjunction with the rotation.

Next, in the sixth step during the lifting operation in the second lifting area 13, in the state where the loading table 4 is supported by the pair of fourth guide rails 111D, as shown by the arrow in FIG. The actuator 5 is then swiveled by 90° from the second swivel position to the first swivel position. At this time, the main body 2 is swiveled from the wheel traveling position with respect to the pair of fifth guide rails 111E to the wheel elevation with respect to the pair of fifth guide rails 111E in conjunction with the swivel of the swivel member 6 connected via the elevating mechanism 7 . Location. In addition, the wheel 31 is turned by 90° from the advancing position relative to the pair of fifth guide rails 111E to the raising and lowering position relative to the pair of fifth guide rails 111E in conjunction with the turning of the main body 2 .

Next, in the seventh step during the lifting operation in the second lifting area 13, in the state where the loading table 4 is supported by the pair of fourth guide rails 111D, the pair of upper links 721 and the pair of lower links 722 are connected by Both are turned horizontally (that is, the telescopic member 72 is contracted) by a pair of elevating actuators 71 .

In this case, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 18 , the loading platform 4 is supported by the pair of fourth guide rails 111D, and the main body 2 is connected to the pair of upper rails 111E in such a way that the wheels 3 pass through the pair of fifth guide rails 111E. The rod 721 and the pair of lower links 722 are raised in conjunction with the rotation.

Next, in the eighth step during the lifting operation in the second lifting area 13, in the state where the loading platform 4 is supported by the pair of fourth guide rails 111D, as shown by the arrow in FIG. The actuator 5 is then swiveled by 90° from the first swivel position to the second swivel position. At this time, the main body 2 is swiveled from the wheel lift position relative to the pair of fifth guide rails 111E to the wheel travel relative to the pair of fifth guide rails 111E in conjunction with the swivel of the swivel member 6 connected via the elevating mechanism 7 . Location. In addition, the wheel 31 is mounted on the pair of fifth guide rails 111E, and is rotated by 90° from the raised and lowered position relative to the pair of fifth guide rails 111E to the position relative to the pair of fifth guide rails in conjunction with the rotation of the main body 2 . Traveling position of 111E.

Next, in the ninth step during the lifting operation in the second lifting area 13, in the state where the transport robot 1 (specifically, the wheels 31) are placed on the pair of fifth guide rails 111E, the arrow shown in FIG. 20 As shown, the loading table 4 is swung by 90° from the supporting position with respect to the pair of fourth guide rails 111D to the retracted position with respect to the pair of fourth guide rails 111D by the swivel actuator 5 . In this way, the transport robot 1 can travel along the pair of fifth guide rails 111E.

(Effect)

Next, operations and effects produced by this embodiment will be described.

The transportation robot 1 according to the present embodiment is a transportation robot 1 that, in a structure 10 having a lifting region 11 in which a plurality of pairs of guide rails 111 are arranged at intervals, during a traveling operation, The transport robot 1 that moves up and down between multiple pairs of guide rails 111 arranged at intervals and moves up and down between each pair of guide rails 111 arranged at intervals, the transport robot 1 1 is equipped with: a main body 2; a pair of wheels 31, which are provided on the main body 2 so as to be able to roll relative to a pair of guide rails 111; Switch between the support position overlapping with the pair of guide rails 111 in the direction and the retreat position located between the pair of guide rails 111; the position switching mechanism switches the loading table 4 between the support position and the retreat position; it is rotated Part 6, which is located between the body 2 and the loading platform 4, and is configured to be able to swivel between the first swivel position and the second swivel position with the up-down direction as the center; the swivel actuator 5, which makes the The revolving part 6 is connected to the loading platform 4 in a revolving manner; the lifting mechanism 7 is connected to the main body 2 and the revolving part 6, and is arranged to be able to lift the loading platform 4 switched to the retracted position. The loading platform 4 switched to the supporting position is supported by a pair of guide rails 111, and the pair of wheels 31 is located between the pair of guide rails 111 by being swung by the swivel member 6 to the second swivel position by the swivel actuator 5. In the case of the lifting position, the main body 2 and the pair of wheels 31 are lifted and lowered between the guide rails 111 by the lifting mechanism 7, and the pair of wheels 31 are rotated by the swivel actuator 5 to the first swivel position by the swivel member 6. When the loading table 4 is placed on the pair of guide rails 111 so as to be located at a travel position overlapping the pair of guide rails 111 in the vertical direction, and the loading table 4 is switched to the retracted position by the position switching mechanism, the loading table 4 passes through the elevating mechanism 7 And carry out lifting between each guide rail 111.

The transportation system 100 according to the present embodiment includes: a structure 10 having a lifting area 11 in which a plurality of pairs of guide rails 111 are arranged at intervals; During the operation, it travels on the guide rails 111 that are arranged in multiple pairs at intervals, and during the lifting operation, it moves up and down between the guide rails 111 that are arranged in plural pairs at intervals, and the transport robot 1 is equipped with: a main body 2; a pair of wheels 31, which are provided on the main body 2 so as to be able to roll relative to a pair of guide rails 111; Switch between the support position overlapping with the pair of guide rails 111 in the direction and the retreat position located between the pair of guide rails 111; the position switching mechanism switches the loading table 4 between the support position and the retreat position; it is rotated Part 6, which is located between the body 2 and the loading platform 4, and is configured to be able to swivel between the first swivel position and the second swivel position with the up-down direction as the center; the swivel actuator 5, which makes the The revolving part 6 is connected to the loading platform 4 in a revolving manner; the lifting mechanism 7 is connected to the main body 2 and the revolving part 6, and is arranged to be able to lift the loading platform 4 switched to the retracted position. The loading platform 4 switched to the supporting position is supported by a pair of guide rails 111, and the pair of wheels 31 is located between the pair of guide rails 111 by being swung by the swivel member 6 to the second swivel position by the swivel actuator 5. In the case of the lifting position, the main body 2 and the pair of wheels 31 are raised and lowered between the guide rails 111 by the lifting mechanism 7, and the pair of wheels 31 are rotated by the swivel actuator 5 to the first swivel position by the swivel member 6. When the loading table 4 is placed on the pair of guide rails 111 so as to be located at a travel position overlapping the pair of guide rails 111 in the vertical direction, and the loading table 4 is switched to the retracted position by the position switching mechanism, the loading table 4 passes through the elevating mechanism 7 And carry out lifting between each guide rail 111.

According to the above structure, during the lifting operation, the loading platform 4 switched to the support position by the position switching mechanism is supported by the pair of guide rails 111, and the swivel member 6 is swiveled to the second swivel position by the swivel actuator 5 so that one When the vehicle 31 is located at the lifting position between the pair of guide rails 111, the main body 2 and the pair of wheels 31 are lifted and lowered between the guide rails 111 by the elevating mechanism 7. The device 5 is swiveled to the first swivel position so that the pair of wheels 31 are placed on the pair of guide rails 111 so as to be located at traveling positions overlapping the pair of guide rails 111 in the vertical direction, and the loading table 4 is switched by the position switching mechanism. When reaching the retracted position, the loading table 4 is lifted and lowered between the guide rails 111 by the lifting mechanism 7, so the transport robot 1 can move anywhere in the lifting area 11 in the structure 10 that is not provided with a lifting mechanism with a height difference. The place moves up and down between the guide rails 111 arranged in the up and down direction. In addition, since a lifting mechanism with a difference in height as in the prior art is not provided in the lifting area 11 , the structure of the structure 10 can be simplified.

In addition, when the loading table 4 is switched from the retracted position to the support position by 90° and supported by the pair of guide rails 111, even if the wheels 31 are separated from the pair of guide rails 111, the transport robot 1 is temporarily held via the loading table 4. Supported by a pair of guide rails 111 . Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the number of parts constituting the conveying robot 1 without separately providing the conveying robot 1 with a supporting mechanism that even when the wheels 31 are detached from the pair of guide rails 111 during the lifting operation. Even in this case, the transfer robot 1 is temporarily supported by the pair of guide rails 111 by switching from the retreat position to the support position. Therefore, simplification and cost reduction of the transport robot 1 can be achieved.

In addition, in this embodiment, the elevating mechanism 7 has: an elevating actuator 71 provided on the swiveled member 6 ; and a telescopic member 72 connecting the main body 2 and the elevating actuator 71 .

According to this configuration, the lifting mechanism 71 can be easily constituted by the lifting actuator 71 provided on the swiveling member 6 and the telescopic member 72 connecting the main body 2 and the lifting actuator 71 . In addition, since the pair of vehicles 31 located at the lifting position is linked with the telescopic member 72 that is rotated by the lifting actuator 71, and moves up and down between the guide rails 111 together with the main body 2, the lifting mechanism 7 can be easily realized. The lift of a pair of vehicles 31 is implemented.

In addition, in this embodiment, the position switching mechanism is constituted by the rotary actuator 5, and the rotary actuator 5 is located between the swiveled member 6 and the loading table 4, and the pair of wheels 31 are placed on the pair of guide rails. In the case of 111, the loading table 4 is turned between the support position and the retracted position with the vertical direction as the center.

According to this configuration, since the integration of the position switching mechanism and the rotary actuator 5 can be realized, it is possible to reduce the number of parts constituting the transport robot 1 .

In addition, in the present embodiment, the transport robot 1 is further provided with a pair of loading platform position adjustment guide rollers 41 provided on the loading platform 4, and when the loading platform 4 is in the retracted position, the pair of loading platform position adjustment guide rollers 41 The pair of loading table position adjustment guide rollers 41 cannot contact the pair of guide rails 111 , and the pair of loading table position adjustment guide rollers 41 can contact the pair of guide rails 111 when the loading table 4 is located at the supporting position.

According to this structure, the pair of stage position adjustment guide rollers 41 abuts against the pair of first guide rails 111A during the raising and lowering operation, so that the positional deviation of the transport robot 1 caused by the raising and lowering operation can be corrected. As a result, there is no need to provide a position detection sensor for detecting the position of the transport robot 1 and a control unit for correcting and controlling the positional deviation of the transport robot 1 based on the detection value of the position detection sensor, thereby realizing Reduction of the number of parts constituting the transfer robot 1 .

In addition, in this embodiment, the transport robot 1 is further provided with a pair of body position adjustment guide rollers 23 provided on the body 2. When the pair of wheels 31 are located at the lifting position, the pair of body position adjustment guide rollers 23 cannot The pair of guide rails 111 abut against each other, and when the pair of wheels 31 are at the traveling position, the pair of main body position adjustment guide rollers 23 can abut against the pair of guide rails 111 .

According to this configuration, during the traveling operation, the main body position adjustment guide roller 23 abuts against the pair of guide rails 111, so that the positional deviation of the transport robot 1 caused by the traveling operation can be corrected. As a result, there is no need to provide a position detection sensor for detecting the position of the transport robot 1 and a control unit for correcting and controlling the positional deviation of the transport robot 1 based on the detection value of the position detection sensor, thereby realizing Reduction of the number of parts constituting the transfer robot 1 . Accordingly, simplification and cost reduction of the transport robot 1 can be achieved.

In addition, during the lifting operation, the main body position adjustment guide roller 23 abuts against the pair of guide rails 111, so that the positional deviation of the transport robot 1 caused by the lifting operation can be corrected.

In addition, in this embodiment, the lifting area 11 has a first lifting area 12, and the first lifting area 12 has a pair of first guide rails 111A, a pair of second guide rails 111B, and a With respect to the third guide rails 111C, the pair of wheels 31 are raised and lowered between the pair of second guide rails 111B and the pair of third guide rails 111C by the elevating mechanism 7 in a state where the loading platform 4 is supported by the pair of first guide rails 111A. .

According to this configuration, in the first lifting area 12 , the transport robot 1 can move up and down between the guide rails 111 arranged in parallel along the vertical direction. Therefore, two-dimensional transportation by the transportation robot 1 can be realized.

In addition, in this embodiment, the lift area 11 includes a second lift area 13 having a pair of fourth guide rails 111D, a pair of fifth guide rails 111E, and a pair of For the second guide rails 111B, a pair of fourth guide rails 111D and a pair of fifth guide rails 111E are arranged in parallel, and a pair of fifth guide rails 111E and a pair of second guide rails 111B are arranged so as to intersect when viewed from above. With the loading table 4 supported by the pair of fourth guide rails 111D, the pair of wheels 31 are raised and lowered between the pair of fifth guide rails 111E and the pair of second guide rails 111B by the elevating mechanism 7 .

According to this configuration, in the second lifting area 13 , the transport robot 1 can move up and down between the guide rails 111 arranged so as to intersect in the vertical direction. Therefore, three-dimensional transportation by the transportation robot 1 can be realized.

(Modification of the transport robot)

In the above-mentioned embodiment, although the position switching mechanism is comprised by the rotary actuator 5, it is not limited to this, For example, it may be comprised by the structure different from the rotary actuator 5.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the lifting actuator 71 is provided at both ends of the swiveled member 6 , but it is not limited thereto, and may be provided on the upper surface of the main body 2 , for example. In this case, it is necessary to provide the connection pieces 24 at both ends of the swiveled member 6 .

Although the present embodiment and modifications have been described above, the above embodiments and modifications are merely application examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific configurations of the above embodiments.

Claims (8)

1. In a structure having a lifting region in which a plurality of pairs of guide rails are arranged with a gap therebetween, a conveying robot moves on a traveling guide rail in which a plurality of pairs of guide rails are arranged with a gap therebetween during a traveling operation, and lifts and lowers each guide rail in which a plurality of pairs of guide rails are arranged with a gap therebetween during a lifting operation,

The conveying robot includes:

a body;

a pair of wheels provided to the body so as to be capable of rolling with respect to the pair of guide rails;

a loading table which is located above the main body and is provided so as to be switchable between a support position where the loading table overlaps the pair of guide rails in the up-down direction and a retracted position where the loading table is located between the pair of guide rails;

a position switching mechanism that switches the loading table between a supporting position and a retracted position;

a driven member located between the main body and the loading table and configured to be rotatable between a first rotation position and a second rotation position with a vertical direction as a center;

a swing driving unit connected to the loading table so as to swing the driven member;

a lifting mechanism which connects the main body and the driven member and is provided so as to be capable of lifting and lowering the loading table switched to the retracted position,

when the loading table switched to the supporting position by the position switching mechanism is supported by the pair of guide rails and the driven member is rotated to the second rotation position by the rotation driving unit, and the pair of wheels are positioned at the lifting position between the pair of guide rails, the main body and the pair of wheels are lifted and lowered between the guide rails by the lifting mechanism,

When the driven member is rotated to the first rotation position by the rotation driving unit, the pair of wheels are placed on the pair of guide rails so as to be positioned at traveling positions overlapping the pair of guide rails in the vertical direction, and the loading table is switched to the retracted position by the position switching mechanism, the loading table is lifted and lowered between the guide rails by the lifting mechanism.

2. The transfer robot of claim 1, wherein,

the lifting mechanism comprises:

a lifting drive unit provided to either one of the driven member and the body;

and a telescopic member connecting the other of the driven member and the main body to the elevation driving unit.

3. The transfer robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the position switching mechanism is composed of the rotary driving part,

the swing driving unit is located between the driven member and the loading table, and swings the loading table between a supporting position and a retracted position with the vertical direction as a center when the pair of wheels are placed on the pair of guide rails.

4. The transfer robot according to claim 1 to 3, wherein,

the transfer robot further includes a pair of stage position adjustment guide rollers provided on the stage,

when the loading table is at the retracted position, the pair of loading table position adjusting guide rollers cannot abut against the pair of guide rails,

when the loading table is positioned at the supporting position, the pair of loading table position adjusting guide rollers can be abutted with the pair of guide rails.

5. The transfer robot according to claim 1 to 4, wherein,

the transfer robot further includes a pair of body position adjustment guide rollers provided to the body,

when the pair of wheels are located at the lifting position, the pair of body position adjusting guide rollers cannot abut against the pair of guide rails,

when the pair of wheels are located at the traveling position, the pair of body position adjustment guide rollers can abut the pair of guide rails.

6. A conveying system is provided with:

a structure body having a lifting region in which a plurality of pairs of guide rails are arranged with a gap therebetween;

a transport robot that moves on a travel rail among the plurality of pairs of guide rails arranged with a space therebetween during a travel operation and moves up and down between the plurality of pairs of guide rails arranged with a space therebetween during a lifting operation,

The conveying robot includes:

a body;

a pair of wheels provided to the body so as to be capable of rolling with respect to the pair of guide rails;

a loading table which is located above the main body and is provided so as to be switchable between a support position where the loading table overlaps the pair of guide rails in the up-down direction and a retracted position where the loading table is located between the pair of guide rails;

a position switching mechanism that switches the loading table between a supporting position and a retracted position;

a driven member located between the main body and the loading table and configured to be rotatable between a first rotation position and a second rotation position with a vertical direction as a center;

a swing driving unit connected to the loading table so as to swing the driven member;

a lifting mechanism which connects the main body and the driven member and is provided so as to be capable of lifting and lowering the loading table switched to the retracted position,

when the loading table switched to the supporting position by the position switching mechanism is supported by the pair of guide rails and the driven member is rotated to the second rotation position by the rotation driving unit, and the pair of wheels are positioned at the lifting position between the pair of guide rails, the main body and the pair of wheels are lifted and lowered between the guide rails by the lifting mechanism,

When the driven member is rotated to the first rotation position by the rotation driving unit, the pair of wheels are placed on the pair of guide rails so as to be positioned at traveling positions overlapping the pair of guide rails in the vertical direction, and the loading table is switched to the retracted position by the position switching mechanism, the loading table is lifted and lowered between the guide rails by the lifting mechanism.

7. The delivery system of claim 6, wherein,

the lifting area is provided with a parallel lifting area, the parallel lifting area is provided with a pair of upper section guide rails, a pair of middle section guide rails and a pair of lower section guide rails which are sequentially arranged along the up-down direction,

the pair of wheels are lifted and lowered between the pair of middle-stage rails and the pair of lower-stage rails by the lifting mechanism in a state where the loading table is supported by the pair of upper-stage rails.

8. The delivery system of claim 6, wherein,

the lifting region is provided with a cross lifting region, the cross lifting region is provided with a pair of upper-stage guide rails, a pair of middle-stage guide rails and a pair of lower-stage guide rails which are sequentially arranged along the up-down direction,

A pair of the upper guide rails and a pair of the middle guide rails are arranged in parallel,

the pair of middle guide rails and the pair of lower guide rails are arranged so as to intersect each other in a plan view,

the pair of wheels are lifted and lowered between the pair of middle-stage rails and the pair of lower-stage rails by the lifting mechanism in a state where the loading table is supported by the pair of upper-stage rails.